Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 2Cut Slot Drive
Cutting a slot in a screw head to turn it is an old idea: drawings from the 16th century show screws with slotted heads.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Slot Screws
The advantages of the slotted head are that: most people have a screwdriver that fits them (sort of); worn drivers are easily reground; a new screwhead slot can easily be cut with a hacksaw. Otherwise the slotted head is the worst screw drive system, and while very common, it is also generally obsolete. Some of its deficiencies include: a screwdriver does not automatically line up with the slot; it is easy to get off center; the user must keep the axis of the screwdriver aligned with the axis of the screw; the driver can engage the head in only two possible positions, at 180 degree to each other. The sides of most slotted screwdriver bits are tapered. When the driver is turned it tends to be pushed up and out of the screw head. This is called camout.
To add to the shortcomings of the slotted head, screwdrivers for slotted screws are usually described by the length of the shaft and the width of the tip; the crucial measurement, the tip's thickness, is not given. Any given tip width is sold in a range of thicknesses; the longer shafts usually have the thicker blades.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Slot Screws
The advantages of the slotted head are that: most people have a screwdriver that fits them (sort of); worn drivers are easily reground; a new screwhead slot can easily be cut with a hacksaw. Otherwise the slotted head is the worst screw drive system, and while very common, it is also generally obsolete. Some of its deficiencies include: a screwdriver does not automatically line up with the slot; it is easy to get off center; the user must keep the axis of the screwdriver aligned with the axis of the screw; the driver can engage the head in only two possible positions, at 180 degree to each other. The sides of most slotted screwdriver bits are tapered. When the driver is turned it tends to be pushed up and out of the screw head. This is called camout.
To add to the shortcomings of the slotted head, screwdrivers for slotted screws are usually described by the length of the shaft and the width of the tip; the crucial measurement, the tip's thickness, is not given. Any given tip width is sold in a range of thicknesses; the longer shafts usually have the thicker blades.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
 |
Add Comment
|
